Wismar (;

Low German : : : : : (70,000) (30,000) (8,000) , familycolor = Indo-European , fam2 = Germanic , fam3 = West Germanic , fam4 = North Sea Germanic , ancestor = Old Saxon , ancestor2 = Middle L ...

: ''Wismer''), officially the Hanseatic City of Wismar (''Hansestadt Wismar'') is, with around 43,000 inhabitants, the sixth-largest city of the northeastern German state of

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...

, and the fourth-largest city of

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; nds, label=Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin ...

after

Rostock Rostock (), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (german: link=no, Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock), is the largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the state, c ...

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch dialect, Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germany, second-largest city of the northeastern States of Germany, German ...

and

Neubrandenburg Neubrandenburg (lit. ''New Brandenburg'', ) is a city in the southeast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is located on the shore of a lake called Tollensesee and forms the urban centre of the Mecklenburg Lakeland. The city is famous for its ...

. The city was the third-largest port city in former

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

after Rostock and

Stralsund Stralsund (; Swedish: ''Strålsund''), officially the Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German: ''Hansestadt Stralsund''), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostock, Schwerin, Neub ...

. Wismar is located on the

Bay of Wismar The Bay of WismarKohl, Horst; Marcinek, Joachim and Nitz, Bernhard (1986). ''Geography of the German Democratic Republic'', VEB Hermann Haack, Gotha, p. 47. . or more commonly Wismar Bay or ''Wismarbucht'' is a well sheltered multi-sectioned bay ...

of the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

, directly opposite the island of

Poel Poel () or Poel Island (german: Insel Poel), is an island in the Baltic Sea. It forms the natural northern and eastern boundaries of the Bay of Wismar on the German coast. The northern coast of the island is also on the south side of the large gu ...

, that separates the Bay of Wismar from the larger

Bay of Mecklenburg The Bay of Mecklenburg ( or ''Mecklenburgische Bucht''; ), also known as the Mecklenburg Bay or Mecklenburg Bight, is a long narrow basin making up the southwestern finger-like arm of the Baltic Sea, between the shores of Germany to the south a ...

. The city lies in the middle between the two larger port cities of

Lübeck Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the stat ...

in the west, and

in the east, and the state capital of

is located south of the city on

Lake Schwerin Lake Schwerin Hamburg Metropolitan Region The Hamburg Metropolitan Region (German: Metropolregion Hamburg) is a metropolitan area centred around the city of Hamburg in northern Germany, consisting of eight districts (''Landkreise'') in the federal state of Lower Saxony, six districts ('' ...

, and is the capital of the district of Northwestern Mecklenburg. The city's natural harbour is protected by a

promontory A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the so ...

. The uninhabited island of

Walfisch Walfisch is an uninhabited German island, in the Bay of Mecklenburg in the Baltic Sea. It lies approximately north of the city of Wismar, south of the island of Poel. The very flat island has a maximum circumference of about , a surface area of ...

, lying between Wismar and the island of

, administratively belongs to the borough of Wismar-Wendorf. It is estimated that Wismar was founded in 1226 under

Henry Borwin I, Lord of Mecklenburg Henry Borwin I, Lord of Mecklenburg (died 28 January 1227), was the ruling Lord of Mecklenburg from 1178 until his death. Sometimes a Latinized version of his name is used ("Borwinus" or "Burwinus"); the form "Buruwe" is also found, as are "Henri ...

from the

House of Mecklenburg The House of Mecklenburg, also known as Nikloting, is a North German dynasty of Slavic origin that ruled until 1918 in the Mecklenburg region, being among the longest-ruling families of Europe. Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (1909–2004), ...

, a German dynasty of Slavic origin also known as the

Obotrites The Obotrites ( la, Obotriti, Abodritorum, Abodritos…) or Obodrites, also spelled Abodrites (german: Abodriten), were a confederation of medieval West Slavs, West Slavic tribes within the territory of modern Mecklenburg and Holstein in norther ...

or Niklotides. In 1259, the city became part of the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...

. Throughout its history, the city has been under control of various German states as well as the

Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the Era of Great Power"). The beginning of the empire is usually ta ...

. It was part of Sweden from 1648 until 1803 (de jure until 1903, when Sweden officially renounced its claims to the city), and this Swedish chapter of the city is celebrated annually with a large "Sweden Celebration". From 1815 until 1918, Wismar lay in the

Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a territory in Northern Germany held by the House of Mecklenburg residing at Schwerin. It was a sovereign member state of the German Confederation and became a federated state of the North German Conf ...

and later in the

Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (german: Freistaat Mecklenburg-Schwerin) was a state in the Weimar Republic that was established on 14 November 1918 following the abdication of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin following the German ...

. Wismar is a typical representative of the

with its city-wide

Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (german: Backsteingotik, pl, Gotyk ceglany, nl, Baksteengotiek) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resourc ...

structures and iconic gabled patrician houses and was inscribed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...

alongside the historical old town of

in 2002.< Wismar is the seat of

Hochschule Wismar The Hochschule Wismar, University of Applied Sciences: Technology, Business and Design (or short: University of Wismar), is the third-biggest and third-oldest public university in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The university is situated at the ...

, a university of applied sciences, one of nine institutions of higher education in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. With

MV Werften Wismar Lloyd Werft Wismar (former '' VEB Mathias-Thesen-Werft Wismar'', ''Aker MTW Werft'', ''Wadan Yards MTW'', ''Nordic Yards Wismar'') is a German shipbuilding company, headquartered in Wismar. Since June 1, 1990 it has been part of the Deutschen Mas ...

, the city is one of three cruise ship-producing locations of

MV Werften MV Werften is a Hong Kong–Germany, German shipbuilding company that operates three facilities in eastern Germany to construct cruise ships for parent company Genting Hong Kong. In January 2022, MV Werften filed for bankruptcy, and an admini ...

(along with Rostock and

), and the shipyard with its tall white-blue hall is one of the city's largest employers. St. George's, St. Nicholas' and St. Mary's, of which only the tower is left standing, are the three iconic sacred buildings dominating the skyline of Wismar.

History

The name of the settlement was first recorded in the 12th century and is of Slavic origin. It comes from a personal Slavic name ''Wyszemir''. Wismar was part of the Western Slavic

' territory. The exact date of the city's foundation is not clear. In the oldest existing document of Wismar of 1229 its civic rights are already established. In 1301 Wismar came under the rule of the

. In 1259 Wismar joined a defensive agreement with Lübeck and

, in order to effectively counter the numerous Baltic pirates. Subsequently more cities of the northern

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

would agree to cooperate as commerce and trade was increasingly coordinated and regulated. These policies would provide the basis for the development of the

. By the 13th and 14th centuries Wismar had grown into a flourishing Hanseatic trading hub and important center of wool processing. Although around 2,000 of its inhabitants perished during the plague of 1376, the town remained reasonably prosperous until the 16th century.

Under Swedish rule

Atlas Van der Hagen-KW1049B10 065-De Belegeringh van Wismar

With the

Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (german: Westfälischer Friede, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought pea ...

of 1648 Wismar came under the territorial control of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. Through the acquisition of Wismar and other

dominions The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, Dominion of New Zealand, New Zealand, Dominion of Newfoundland, Newfoundland, Un ...

in the

, the

Kings of Sweden This is a list of Swedish kings, queens, regents and viceroys of the Kalmar Union. History The earliest record of what is generally considered to be a Swedish king appears in Tacitus' work ''Germania'', c. 100 AD (the king of the Suiones). Howe ...

in their role as

imperial princes Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...

were entitled to a seat in the Imperial Diet. Wismar became administrative center of Wismar town and the districts of Pod and

Neukloster Neukloster is a town in the east of the district of Nordwestmecklenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. This town is the administrative center of the bureau Neukloster-Warin, which includes eight more communes. Neukloster is close to th ...

, and after 1653 the ''Fürstenhof'' (prince's court) served as the seat of the supreme court for all Swedish dominions in the Holy Roman Empire. Wismar's fortifications were extended into an effective all-round defence system under the supervision of Field Marshal

Erik Dahlbergh '' Count Erik Jönsson Dahlbergh (10 October 162516 January 1703) was a Swedish military engineer, Governor-general and Field marshal. He rose to the level of nobility through his military competence. As an architect and draftsman, he was renow ...

. Remains of these fortifications have been preserved, among other places, in the ‘Lindengarten' to the east of the wall of the old city. During the

Scanian War The Scanian War ( da, Skånske Krig, , sv, Skånska kriget, german: Schonischer Krieg) was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark–Norway, Brandenburg and Sweden. It was fought from 1675 to 1679 mainly on Scanian soil, ...

, the town was besieged and captured by

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

forces in 1675. In 1803, Sweden ceded both the town and lordship to the

for 1,258,000

Riksdaler The svenska riksdaler () was the name of a Swedish coin first minted in 1604. Between 1777 and 1873, it was the currency of Sweden. The daler, like the dollar,''National Geographic''. June 2002. p. 1. ''Ask Us''. was named after the German Thaler. ...

s, but reserved the right of redemption after 100 years. In view of this contingent right of Sweden, Wismar was not represented at the

diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

Mecklenburg-Schwerin The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II divided the Duchy of Mecklenburg between Schwerin and Strelitz. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting Hous ...

until 1897. In 1903, Sweden finally renounced its claims to the town. Wismar still retains a few relics of its old privileges, including the right to fly its own flag.

20th century

By the end of the 19th century Wismar's most important manufacturing branches were the production of iron and steel, roofing-felt, asphalt, paper and machine industry. International sea trade took place at the local harbour, which was deep enough to admit vessels of up to draught at its quays. Exports included grains, oil-seeds and butter as coal, timber and iron was imported. Wismar was production site for several railroad rolling stock manufacturers and since 1933 home to ''Norddeutsche Dornier-Werke'' of aircraft manufacturer Dornier. On 14 May 1881

Rudolph Karstadt Rudolph Karstadt (16 February 1856 – 15 December 1944 in Schwerin) was a German entrepreneur. Biography Karstadt was born in Grevesmühlen near Lübeck on 16 February 1856, he apprenticed in Rostock and then worked in his father’s textile ...

opened his first shop (''Tuch-, Manufaktur- und Konfektionsgeschäft'') of the now well established department store chain

Karstadt Karstadt Warenhaus GmbH was a German department store chain whose headquarters were in Essen. Until 30 September 2010 the company was a subsidiary of Arcandor AG (which was known until 30 June 2007 as KarstadtQuelle AG) and was responsible wi ...

in Wismar. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, it was the location of a

forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...

subcamp of the Nazi prison in Bützow-Dreibergen. Wismar was heavily bombed and destroyed by Allied air raids. As the

line of contact The Line of Contact marked the farthest advance of American, British, French, and Soviet armies into German controlled territory at the end of World War II in Europe. In general a "line of contact" refers to the demarcation between two or m ...

between Soviet and other Allied armies formed in Europe at the end of the war, Wismar was captured by the British

6th Airborne Division The 6th Airborne Division was an airborne infantry division of the British Army during the Second World War. Despite its name, the 6th was actually the second of two airborne divisions raised by the British Army during the war, the other being t ...

1st Canadian Parachute Battalion The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was an Airborne forces, airborne infantry battalion of the Canadian Army formed in July 1942 during the World War II, Second World War; it served in Western Front (World War II)#1944–45: The Second Front, Nort ...

on 2 May 1945, James Hill commanding, in accordance with Operation Eclipse. On 7 May 1945 British Field Marshal Montgomery and Soviet Marshal

Konstantin Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich (Xaverevich) Rokossovsky (Russian: Константин Константинович Рокоссовский; pl, Konstanty Rokossowski; 21 December 1896 – 3 August 1968) was a Soviet and Polish officer who becam ...

met in Wismar. In accord with the ''Occupation Zone Agreements'' of the

Yalta Conference The Yalta Conference (codenamed Argonaut), also known as the Crimea Conference, held 4–11 February 1945, was the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union to discuss the post ...

Wismar became a part of the

Soviet Occupation Zone The Soviet Occupation Zone ( or german: Ostzone, label=none, "East Zone"; , ''Sovetskaya okkupatsionnaya zona Germanii'', "Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany") was an area of Germany in Central Europe that was occupied by the Soviet Union as a c ...

of Germany on 1 July 1945, as British troops retreated and Soviet troops took control over the area. During the 1949 to 1990 era of the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, Wismar became East Germany's second-largest port, after

and developed a shipbuilding industry. Although the GDR government had pledged to restore the local churches and historic sites that had been heavily bombed during the war, this commitment was for the most part not fulfilled. After German reunification in 1990, churches and all historic buildings in the city's town center were restored, and the old towns of Wismar and

( to the east), were listed as UNESCO

World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...

. In 2011, Wismar became the capital of the

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

Nordwestmecklenburg Nordwestmecklenburg (''Northwestern Mecklenburg'') is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the north-western part of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the coast of the Baltic Sea and borders on Schleswig-Holstein to the west. Neighboring dis ...

Mayors and Lord Mayors

* 1919–1929: Lawyer Hans Rasp (1877–1957, SPD) * 1929–1933: Heinrich Brechling (1897–1959, SPD) * 1933–1945: Alfred Pleuger (NSDAP) * May 1945June 1945: Heinrich von Biel (independent) * June 1945August 1945: Heinz Adolf Janert (1897–1973) (independent) * August 19451945: Karl Keuscher (KPD) * September 19451945: August Wilke (KPD) * December 1945December 1950: Herbert Säverin (1906–1987) (SPD/SED) * January 1951June 1952 Erhard Holweger (1911–1976) (SED) * August 1953June 1957: Herbert Kolm (SED) * July 1957April 1969: Herbert Fiegert (SED) * April 1969November 1989: Günter Lunow (born 1926) (SED) * November 1989May 1990: Wolfram Flemming (SED), temporary * 1990–2010: Rosemarie Wilcken (born 1947) (SPD) * Since July 2010: Thomas Beyer (born 1960) (SPD)

Sights and architecture

The historical old town, centered on the huge marketplace (one of the largest in northern Germany at ), is characterized by town houses, manufacture and trading structures of the Hanseatic League, built in

style during the 13th to 15th centuries, 19th-century

Romanesque Revival architecture Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...

and

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

houses. Distinctive buildings and military works, built during the period of Swedish control during the 17th and the 18th centuries provide another layer of cultural influence. The market square's focal point is the ''Wasserkunst'', an elaborate wrought-iron fountain imported from Holland in 1602. The northern side of the square is occupied by the Town Hall, built in Neoclassical style from 1817 to 1819. Another notable building on the square is a

patrician's home (''Bürgerhaus'') called ''Alter Schwede'' (Old Swede), erected around 1380. St. George's Church, the third so-named edifice on the site, dates from 1404. It had escaped major damage during most of World War II, but on 14 April 1945, three weeks before the end of the war it was badly damaged by "

Blockbuster bomb A blockbuster bomb or cookie was one of several of the largest conventional bombs used in World War II by the Royal Air Force (RAF). The term ''blockbuster'' was originally a name coined by the press and referred to a bomb which had enough explo ...

s" dropped by the British Royal Air Force. Reconstruction after German reunification, costing some 40 million Euros, was completed in 2010. The tower church of St. Mary's Church (''Marienkirche'') is the only remainder of the original

edifice, built during the first half of the 13th century. It suffered heavy damage in World War II, and was partially razed in 1960 during the

East German East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

era. St. Mary's Church and the church of

St. Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Demre ...

(''Nikolaikirche'') with its very lofty vaulting, built from 1381 to 1460, serve as prime examples of

's St. Mary's Churches architectural influence on the entire region. The ''Fürstenhof'', a richly decorated specimen of early Italian

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

style was once a

ducal Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranked ...

residence and served later as the seat of the

municipal A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

authorities. Built from 1552 to 1565, it was restored from 1877 to 1879. The ''Old School'', dating from about 1300, has also been restored. The town hall, rebuilt in 1829, houses a gallery of paintings. The Fine Arts Municipal Gallery ''Baumhaus'' is located in the old harbour area.

Education

* Hochschule Wismar – University of Technology, Business and Design

Economy

Nordic Yards Wismar Lloyd Werft Wismar (former '' VEB Mathias-Thesen-Werft Wismar'', ''Aker MTW Werft'', ''Wadan Yards MTW'', ''Nordic Yards Wismar'') is a German shipbuilding company, headquartered in Wismar. Since June 1, 1990 it has been part of the Deutschen Mas ...

is a shipbuilder located in Wismar and shipbuilding has existed since 1946 at the site.

Notable people

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1984-0402-025, Marita Koch

Klaus Störtebeker "Nikolaus" Storzenbecher or "Klaus" Störtebeker (1360 – supposed 20 October 1401) was reputed to be leader of a group of privateers known as the Victual Brothers (german: Vitalienbrüder). The Victual Brothers ( la, victualia) were o ...

(c. 1360–1401), privateer *

Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (''Sophia''; 4 September 1557 – 14 October 1631) was Queen of Denmark and Norway by marriage to Frederick II of Denmark. She was the mother of King Christian IV of Denmark and Anne of Denmark. She was Regent of Schl ...

(1557–1631), queen of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

*Bernhard Latomus (1560–1613), historian *

Daniel Georg Morhof Daniel Georg Morhof (6 February 163930 July 1691) was a German writer and scholar. Bibliography Morhof was born at Wismar. He first studied jurisprudence and then '' literae humaniores'' at the University of Rostock, where his elegant Latin vers ...

(1639–1691), historian *Joachim Gerstenbüttel (c. 1650–1721), composer *

Johan Henrik Scheffel Johan Henrik Scheffel (9 April 1690 - 21 December 1781) was a Swedish artist. He became known for his portraits of Carl von Linné, Christopher Polhem Christopher Polhammar (18 December 1661 – 30 August 1751) better known as Christopher Polh ...

(1690–1781), Swedish painter *

Johan Carl Wilcke Johan Carl Wilcke was a Swedish physicist. Biography Wilcke was born in Wismar, son of a clergyman who in 1739 was appointed second pastor of the German Church in Stockholm. He went to the German school in Stockholm and enrolled at the Univers ...

(1732–1796), physicist *

Friedrich Christoph Dahlmann Friedrich Christoph Dahlmann (13 May 1785, Wismar5 December 1860, Bonn) was a German historian and politician. Biography He came of an old Hanseatic family of Wismar, then controlled by Sweden. His father, who was burgomaster of the town, int ...

(1785–1860), historian, statesman *

Heinrich Keil Theodor Heinrich Gottfried Keil (25 May 1822, Gressow – 27 August 1894, Friedrichroda) was a German classical philologist. He was a son-in-law to educator Friedrich August Eckstein (1810–1885). He studied classical philology at the Universi ...

(1822–1894), philologist * Theodor Martens (1822–1884), architectural and landscape painter * Friedrich Bernhard Christian Maassen (1823–1900), law professor *

Gottlob Frege Friedrich Ludwig Gottlob Frege (; ; 8 November 1848 – 26 July 1925) was a German philosopher, logician, and mathematician. He was a mathematics professor at the University of Jena, and is understood by many to be the father of analytic phil ...

(1848–1925), mathematician, logician and philosopher * Marie Musaeus Higgins (1855–1926), founder of Musaeus College, Colombo *

Franz Ziehl Franz Ziehl (13 April 1857 in Wismar – 7 April 1926) was a German bacteriologist. He was a professor in Lübeck. Franz Ziehl introduced the carbol fuchsin stain for the tubercle bacillus in 1882. With pathologist Friedrich Neelsen (1854–1898 ...

(1857–1926), bacteriologist *

Gustav Neckel Gustav Neckel (born 17 January 1878 in Wismar, died 24 November 1940 in Dresden) was a German philologist who specialized in Germanic studies. Life and career His parents were Gustav Neckel (1844–1923), an industrialist and businessman, and Ama ...

(1878–1940), Germanist and Scandinavist * Anton von Hohberg und Buchwald (1885–1934), Reichswehr and SS officer *

Harald Weinrich Harald Weinrich (24 September 1927 – 26 February 2022) was a German classical scholar, scholar of Romance philology and philosopher, known for the breadth of his writings. Biography He was emeritus professor of the Collège de France, and hel ...

(born 1927), classical scholar; scholar of Romance philology and philosopher; emeritus professor of the Collège de France, where he held the chair of Romance literature from 1992 to 1998 *

Heino Kleiminger Heino Kleiminger (3 February 1939 – 16 April 2015) was a German footballer. His career took place in East Germany, then an independent state known as German Democratic Republic. Kleiminger, born in Wismar, Mecklenburg, originally played fo ...

(1939–2015), footballer *

Gunter Pleuger Gunter Pleuger (born 25 March 1941 in Wismar, Germany) is a German diplomat and politician. He studied in politics and law in Bonn, and subsequently Cologne. From 11 November 2002 to 2006, Pleuger was the Permanent Representative of Germany to ...

(born 1941), diplomat and politician *

Klaus Grünberg Klaus Grünberg (born 20 November 1941 in Wismar, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous ...

(born 1941), actor * Peter Sykora (born 1946), footballer *

Joachim Streich Joachim Streich (13 April 1951 – 16 April 2022) was a German footballer who won the bronze medal with East Germany at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Playing career Born in Wismar, Streich played as a striker for Aufbau Wismar from 1957 t ...

(1951-2022), football player and coach *

Marita Koch Marita Koch (later Meier-Koch; born 18 February 1957) is a German former sprint track and field athlete. During her career she collected 16 world records in outdoor sprints as well as 14 world records in indoor events. Her record of 47.60 in th ...

(born 1957), track and field athlete of the GDR and Olympic champion * Roswitha Eberl (born 1958), canoeist * Kerstin Brandt (born 1961), high jumper * Andreas Zachhuber (born 1962), football player and coach *

Kathrin Haacker Kathrin Haacker (born 3 April 1967 in Wismar, Bezirk Rostock) is a German former rower, who competed for SC Dynamo Berlin The Sports Club Dynamo Berlin was an East German sports club that existed from 1954 to 1991. It was the ...

(born 1967), Olympic champion in rowing *

Fiete Sykora Fiete Sykora (born 16 September 1982) is a retired German footballer who played as a striker. Career Sykora made his debut on the professional league level in the 2. Bundesliga for FC Carl Zeiss Jena on 11 August 2006 when starting in a game ...

(born 1982), footballer *

Robert Tesche Robert Tesche (born 27 May 1987) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club VfL Osnabrück. Tesche played for Arminia Bielefeld, Hamburger SV and Fortuna Düsseldorf before moving to England in 2014 to join Nottingh ...

(born 1987), footballer

Wismar in art and literature

* Wismar (renamed "Wisborg") was the setting of the 1922 silent film ' (''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror''). This

German Expressionist German Expressionism () consisted of several related creative movements in Germany before the First World War that reached a peak in Berlin during the 1920s. These developments were part of a larger Expressionist movement in north and central ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

, directed by

F. W. Murnau Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (born Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe; December 28, 1888March 11, 1931) was a German film director, producer and screenwriter. He was greatly influenced by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Shakespeare and Ibsen plays he had seen at t ...

and starring

Max Schreck Friedrich Gustav Maximilian Schreck Eickhoff, Stefan. 2007 (6 September 1879 – 20 February 1936), Walk, Ines. 2006. known professionally as Max Schreck, was a German actor, best known for his lead role as the vampire Count Orlok in the film ' ...

as the

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

Count Orlok Count Orlok (german: Graf Orlok), commonly but erroneously known as Nosferatu, is the main antagonist and title character portrayed by German actor Max Schreck (1879–1936) in the silent film ''Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens'' (1922). He ...

, was partly shot in Wismar. Filming began in July 1921, with exterior shots in Wismar. A

take A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production. Film In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup". Takes of each s ...

from the Marienkirche's (Saint Mary's Church) tower over Wismar marketplace with the Wasserkunst Wismar (waterworks fountain) served as the

establishing shot An establishing shot in filmmaking and television production sets up, or establishes, the context for a scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects. It is generally a long or extreme-long shot at the beginning of ...

for the Wisborg scene. Other locations included the ''Wassertor'' (Water Gate), the southside of

, the ''Heilig-Geist-Kirche'' (Holy-Spirit-Church) and the harbour area. * Wismar was also the setting of

Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with un ...

's 1979 remake '' Nosferatu, Phantom der Nacht''. However, Herzog unable to film in Wismar, relocated his production to the cities of Delft and Schiedam in the Netherlands. The 2000

metafiction Metafiction is a form of fiction which emphasises its own narrative structure in a way that continually reminds the audience that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. Metafiction is self-conscious about language, literary form, and story ...

horror film ''

Shadow of the Vampire ''Shadow of the Vampire'' is a 2000 Independent film, independent metacinema, meta historical fiction, period horror comedy film directed by E. Elias Merhige, written by Steven A. Katz, Steven Katz, and starring John Malkovich and Willem Daf ...

'', directed by E. Elias Merhige which depicts the filming of the 1922 silent movie also takes place in Wismar.

Twin towns – sister cities

Wismar is twinned with: *

Kemi Kemi (; sme, Giepma ; smn, Kiemâ; sms, Ǩeeʹmm; Swedish (historically): ''Kiemi'') is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio and the Swedish border. The distance to Oulu is to the south and to Rovani ...

, Finland (1959) *

Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...

, Denmark (1963) *

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...

, France (1971) *

, Germany (1987) * Kalmar Municipality, Kalmar, Sweden (2002) * Pogradec, Albania (2019) In addition, since 1991 there is a friendship with Halden in Norway.

References

External links

Centres of Stralsund and Wismar: UNESCO Official Website

Official site

Hochschule Wismar, University of Technology, Business and Design

UNESCO World Heritage Site Wismar

Evangelische Kirchengemeinden in Wismar

Website mit historischen Bildern von Wismar

17th-century account on the City
{{Authority control Wismar, Landmarks in Germany Members of the Hanseatic League Port cities and towns in Germany Port cities and towns of the Baltic Sea World Heritage Sites in Germany Populated coastal places in Germany (Baltic Sea) Nordwestmecklenburg Populated places established in the 13th century Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1229 establishments in Europe